If the reported intention to replace Germany’s ageing Tornado fleet with a mix of up to 90 Eurofighters, 30 Super Hornets and 15 Growlers is correct, the Luftwaffe will be getting the worst of all previously mooted outcomes

This article uses a variety of salvo combat models to generate a crude outline of the vulnerability of an aircraft carrier manoeuvring in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea or the Barents Sea in a conflict involving NATO and Russia

The UK is currently going through a process of re-evaluating and rethinking some of its key approaches to managing terrorism offenders. Looking at Singapore’s model would be a good start for policymakers.

The Blue Economy development concept has driven many states to consolidate their maritime domain. As the Kenya–Somalia maritime dispute shows, the Blue Economy has security consequences beyond development.

If the US was to invade Iran, how much money, equipment and personnel would be required? This article suggests that the costs would be prohibitive and other methods of managing relations with Iran should be explored.

Perhaps the greatest current cyberspace threat is cyber-enabled information operations, which strike at the narratives that underlie social cohesion. The long-term solution is education in critical thinking, but some legal changes could help blunt the effects in the short term.

The British Army has recently formed 13th Signals Regiment to conduct cyber operations on the modern battlefield. This is a welcome capability, providing a home for cyber expertise to help Defence protect its networks, and threaten those of adversaries. It is vitally important, however, that these capabilities are not over-hyped. Cyber capabilities will be relevant in wars of the future, but they...

The P-8A Poseidon is, on the face of it, a rather different type of aircraft. Heavily optimised for the maritime environment as befits its primary role as a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), it carries a range of sensors and weapons systems specifically for the detection, tracking and (if necessary) destruction of hostile submarines and surface vessels. However, it is also capable of mounting under...

The modern world is increasingly mediated by digital devices and networks, where every click or online transaction generates a data trail that can reveal trends and insights. In industry, it is well known that there is a strong correlation between good organisational performance and the exploitation of corporate data. Data exploitation is often seen as delivering most benefit when data is...

The broad intake funnel of this new world of online radicals means that it is increasingly difficult to target deradicalisation efforts and security monitoring. The ideological goalposts are constantly shifting, and the groups are constantly migrating to different environments. In the case of Islamist terrorism, the categories of individuals most vulnerable to online radicalisation were...

The concept underpinning this reorganisation compares to that following the USMC’s crisis of confidence in the interwar era, when the experience of Gallipoli had convinced much of the world that amphibious operations were no longer viable. The USMC’s response drew heavily on the thinking of Earl Hancock ‘Pete’ Ellis, who proposed that the raison d’être of the Marines should be advanced base...

However, the ability of satellites to manoeuvre in orbit is not new and concerns over their intentions have already been expressed. Indeed, in the summer of 2018 the US noted the ‘abnormal’ behaviour of a Russian satellite, and France has similarly accused the Russians of spying on one of its military communications satellites. With space playing such a central role in military and national...

The pivot to Eastern Europe, however, makes clear that surface-to-surface, precision guided munitions (PGMs) are not a capability the British Army can afford to scrap altogether. First, planners will depend on medium- and long-range ground fired PGMs to neutralise Russian air defence assets. Unless ground fires are able to create local opportunities for NATO airpower, it is unlikely that air...

Germany’s long-running attempts to find a politically and operationally viable solution to replacing its ageing Tornado IDS and ECR fighter bombers are reportedly coming to a close. According to an article by Handelsblatt, the Bundeswehr will replace the current fleet of 93 Tornados with a combination of 30 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to perform the dual-capable aircraft (DCA) nuclear delivery role,...

Vulnerability to Anti-Ship Ballistic MissilesOne of the biggest emerging challenges to aircraft carriers are anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), such as the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal and the DF-21D. Capable of reaching hypersonic speeds, these missiles can, in principle, mission-kill a carrier in a single hit. However, analysis of carrier vulnerability to the Kinzhal in a Russia focused scenario yields a...

UK sanctions will not operate in isolation from other sanctions regimes. This Occasional Paper builds on insights from the second meeting of the RUSI Task Force on the Future of UK Sanctions Policy and considers how the UK will coordinate sanctions initiatives with its allies after Brexit.

Southern and eastern Africa has been one of the regions targeted by North Korean proliferation financing activities. Measures to address vulnerabilities can reduce countries’ risk exposure to this threat.

RUSI held its 20th Missile Defence and Space Conference on 26 and 27 February 2020, at which issues around space as an operational domain were integrated into the programme for the first time. The immediate catalyst for this has been the proliferation of conventional threats to time-sensitive...

The UK's 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy reaches its conclusion in 2021. At the midway point of the current strategy, and with an upcoming Spending Review, the focus should now be on building the next strategy. This Briefing Paper poses a series of questions to help frame this debate.

The UK has been instrumental in developing many of the systems relied upon by EU law enforcement agencies, but the advent of Brexit means that the UK may lose access to these important tools. This briefing paper examines three options for UK–EU law enforcement information sharing post-Brexit.

Written by Lord Peter Ricketts, former National Security Adviser and UK Ambassador to France, this Briefing Paper recommends that the UK and France step up joint work on defence, security and nuclear deterrence policy.

The UK is currently going through a process of re-evaluating and rethinking some of its key approaches to managing terrorism offenders. Looking at Singapore’s model would be a good start for policymakers.

The leading military historian of his generation, Sir Michael Howard’s influence on the development of the discipline of strategic studies is unquestioned. Awarded the military cross for his service...